Switch-housing



E. B. MITCHELL SWITCH-HOUSING Filed April 18. 1966 84 90L L P06 18 56 36 i a: 66 III 56 45 az l E 46 24 Invenior.

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United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a housing having a back acting arm extending from one wall and a leg extending in an acute angle of relationship from another wall. The back acting arm being in close spaced relation to a cap portion which acts in cooperation with both the arm and leg to engage an apertured support.

This invention relates generally to switches and more specifically to a two-circuit switch.

In the past, single pole double throw switches have been utilized to provide two circuits. Some wiring conditions require that two separate sets of terminals be used and this in turn requires two separate complete circuits which cannot be accomplished by the single pole double throw switch. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a switch which can accommodate two independent circuits.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a switch housing having flexible means of engaging an apertured support.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fastening means for a switch housing which has a single leg whose plane traverses the plane of another leg spaced from the single leg and used to complete the attachment.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the switch;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the switch partially engaged to a support;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the switch fully engaged to a support; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the switch with the cover plate removed.

In the drawings there is shown a switch comprising a housing 10, a cover plate 12, a plunger 14, a plunger spring 16, a movable contact 18, a return spring 20, a guide pin 22, a set of four fixed contacts, namely a first contact 24, a second contact 26, a third contact 28, and a fourth contact 30 and a cover 32.

The unitary housing formed of an insulating material comprises a base portion 34 having a rear wall 36 extending from an end thereof, in right angle relationship therewith and a forward wall 38 which extends in angular relation from the other end of the base portion 34 and changes direction a predetermined distance from the base portion 34 to form a knuckle 40 and then continues to the same plane at which the rear wall 36 terminates. The end of the rear wall 36 and the end of the forward wall 38 are connected by a cap portion 42 which is wider than the rear wall or the forward wall and which extends beyond the distance between the external surfaces of the rear wall and the forward wall. A back wall 44 connects the cap portion 42, the forward wall 38, the rear wall 36 and the base portion 34 thereby providing a cavity 45 as shown in FIG. 4. A series of four slots 46 is formed through the rear wall 36, and three separator portions 48 extend from the rear wall 36 into the cavity 45, integral with the back wall 44 and in spaced relation to each other. An upper separator portion 50 connects the rear wall 36 and the cap portion 42 extending into the cavity 45 and includes an angular face 52. The middle of the three separator portions 48 includes a face 54 in parallel spaced relation to the angular face 52. A stud portion 56, having an angular surface 58, is spaced from the uppermost separator portion 50 spaced from the forward wall 38, within the cavity 45. A rearwardly facing surface 60 connects the cap portion 42 and the forward wall 38 in spaced parallel relation with the angular surface 58 of the stud portion 56 as shown in FIG. 4. A flexiblerrear leg 62 extends from the rear wall 36, in close proximity to the cap portion 42 and forms an acute angle with the rear wall 36. The rear leg 62 has a free terminal end 64 which is rounded and thereby provides an arched upper surface slightly below the plane of the lower surface of the cap portion 42. A flexible arm 66 extends forwardly from the knuckle 40 and is then bent proximate its terminal end to provide a terminal portion 68 in parallel relation with the rear wall 36. The terminal portion 68 lies below the plane of the underside of the cap portion 42.

The first fixed contact 24 has an engagement portion 70 butted against the rearwardly facing surface 60 of the housing 10 and then rests against the inner surface of the forward wall 38 of the housing 10 and is then bent to pass through the axial mid-plane of the cavity 45 in close proximity to the base portion 34 and then through the lowest slot 46 to extend beyond the housing 10.

The second fixed contact 26 has its terminal engagement portion 72 butted against the angular surface 58 of the stud portion 56, then along the outer surface of the stud portion 56 until it is bent to pass through the axial mid-plane of the cavity 45 in spaced relation to the first fixed contact 24, then out through the second slot. 46. The first fixed contact 24 and the second fixed contact 26 are insulated from each other by one of the separator portions 48.

The third fixed contact 28 has its contact portion 74 butted against the face 54 of the middle separator portion 48 and then passes through the slot 46 and beyond the housing 10.

The fourth fixed contact 30 has its terminal contact portion 76 butted against the angular face 52 of the upper separator portion 50 and then extends through the top slot 46 and beyond the housing 10.

The guide pin 22 extends from the second fixed contact 26 toward the cap portion 42 along a continuation of the axis of an aperture 78 formed through the cap portion 42 and the cover 32.

The surface of the back wall 44 has a pair of ribs 80 formed thereon which extend from the base portion 34 to a point near the cap portion 42 thereby providing three channels between the stud portion 56 and the separator portions 48 as shown in FIG. 4.

The movable contact 18 comprises a rectangular support portion 82 having an aperture formed therethrough and having a contact leg 84 extending from each of two opposed sides and a support leg 86 extending from each of the remaining sides in right angle relationship thereto and toward the same plane as that toward which the contact legs 84 are directed. The rectangular support portion 82 adjacent or in close proximity to each of the support legs 86 has a proturberance 87 formed therein directed toward the plane toward which the support legs 86 are directed.

The contact legs 84 are in angular relation to the support portion 82.

The plunger 14 comprises a tubular shank 88 closed at one end and having a rectangular flange 89 extending radially from the other end. Each of the two opposed sides of said rectangular sides has a projection 90 formed at each corner for purposes to be explained hereinafter.

To assemble the switch the tubular shank 88 of the plunger 14 is passed through the aperture formed in the support portion 82 of the movable contact 18. This places each of the support legs 86 between a pair of projections 90, with the protuberances 87 butted against the rectangular flange 89, the plunger spring 16 is then placed around the tubular shank 88 and into abutting relationship with the support portion 82 of the movable contact 18 and this whole assembly is engaged with the housing by passing the shank 88 through the aperture formed in the cap portion 42 with the spring, flange portion and movable contact within the cavity 45 and two of the projections 90 riding within the channels formed by the ribs 80 as shown in FIG. 4.

The contacts 24 through 30 are placed within the cavity 45 as shown in FIG. 4 with the engagement portion 70 of the first fixed contact 24 butted against the rearwardly facing surface 60 of the housing 10. One of the contact legs 84 of the movable contact 18 lies between the engagement portion 70 of the first fixed contact 24 and the terminal engagement portion 72 of the second fixed contact 26. The other contact leg 84 lies between the terminal contact portion 76 of the fourth fixed contact 30 and the contact portion 74 of the third fixed contact 28. A return spring 20 is passed around the guide pin 22 and engaged against a slight recess formed in the flanged portion of the plunger 14. This spring normally biases the movable contact 18 against the engagement portion 70 of the first fixed contact 24 and the terminal contact portion 76 of the fourth fixed contact 30 as shown in FIG. 4. A cover 12 may now be attached to the housing by many different means; for example, rivets as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, completing the assembly. A metal cover 32 may be placed over the cap portion 42 for decorative and protective purposes, if desired.

As noted heretofore, in a normal position the return spring 20 biases the movable contact 18 against the first and fourth fixed contacts thereby completing the circuit therebetween. The protuberances 87 act as pivot points on the rectangular flange 89 and assure contact mating between contact 24, 30 and the movable contact 18. If the plunger should be axially depressed toward the base portion 34 of the housing 10, the contact legs 84 of the movable contact 18 will be moved into abutting relationship with the engagement portions of the second and third fixed contacts thereby completing a second circuit. This movement is brought about by the plunger spring 16 which on depression of the plunger 14 is freed of the restrictions applied to capable of biasing the movable contact into engagement with the second and third fixed contact.

To engage the switch to a rectangular apertured support 92 the rear leg 62 is passed under the support 92 as shown in FIG. 2 until the edge of the aperture abuts against the rear wall 36 between the rear leg 62 and the overhang provided by the cover 32. If pressure is applied to the cover 32 toward the support 92, in close proximity to the flexible arm 66, the arm 66 will flex toward the body of the housing 10 until the upper surface of the it by a return spring 20 and is then support butts against the cover 32 and the terminal portion 68 of the flexible arm 66 engages against an edge of the aperture.

With reference to the foregoing description it is to be understood that what has been disclosed herein represents only a single embodiment of the invention and is to be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature and that the invention is best described by the following claims.

What is claimed:

1. A one-piece housing for an article of manufacture, said housing an insulating material having a forward wall, a rear wall and a cap portion connecting said forward wall and said rear wall, said forward wall having an arm extending therefrom in acute angular relation thereto, said arm having a terminal portion in spaced relation to said rear wall and spaced from and proximate to said cap portion and said rear wall having a leg extending therefrom in acute angular relationship therewith whereby said leg and said arm are adapted to engage an aperture formed in a support and extended toward the plane of said cap portion.

2. A housing as set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm extends in a direction substantially opposite to that of said leg for the major portion of its length, and said leg extends beyond the area defined by said cap portion.

3. A housing as set forth in claim 2 wherein said for ward wall, said rear wall, and said cap portion are connected by a back wall and define a cavity, and said back wall has a pair of ribs extending therefrom in spaced parallel relation to each other.

4. The combination of a support having an aperture formed therein and a unitary housing for an article of manufacture, said housing having a forward wall, a rear wall and a cap portion connecting said forward wall and said rear wall, said forward wall having an arm extending therefrom in acute angular relation thereto toward the plane of the cap portion, said arm having a terminal portion in spaced parallel relation to said rear wall and Y spaced from said cap portion and said rear wall having a leg extending therefrom in acute angular relationship therewith and said leg engaging the undersurface of said support in close proximity to said aperture and said arm engaged against the wall of said aperture and said cap portion having a length greater than the length of said aperture and being in superposed relationship to a portion of said support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,424,757 7/1947 Klumpp 174-153 2,884,503 4/ 1959 Connelly 20067 2,891,103 6/1959 Swengel 174-453 3,049,600 8/1962 Fraser 20067 3,244,941 4/ 1966 Maynard et al. 200l68 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ONE-PIECE HOUSING FOR AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, SAID HOUSING AN INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A FORWARD WALL, A REAR WALL AND A CAP PORTION CONNECTING SAID FORWARD WALL AND SAID REAR WALL, SAID FORWARD WALL HAVING AN ARM EXTENDING THEREFROM IN ACUTE ANGULAR RELATION THERETO, SAID ARM HAVING A TERMINAL PORTION IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID REAR WALL AND SPACED FROM AND PROXIMATE TO SAID CAP PORTION AND SAID REAR WALL HAVING A LEG EXTENDING THEREFROM IN ACUTE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP THERWITH WHEREBY SAID LEG AND SAID ARM ARE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN APERTURE FORMED IN A SUPPORT AND EXTENDED TOWARD THE PLANE OF SAID CAP PORTION. 